George Clooney & Viola Davis Cover 'EW'

Viola, on The Help being her first leading role: “First lead role ever in a movie. So it was my first time to really create a character from beginning to end. I’ve always just shown up and, whatever my lines are, I just do it, like almost robotic in a way. But this is the first time I felt a huge responsibility – to the African-American community, to the people who read the book. A lot was on our shoulders.”

George, on watching movies differently since he began directing: “I’m able to remove myself a little more and say, ‘I understand why he used this take instead of a take I thought would be better.’ Even things where people go, ‘You really nailed it,’ you go back and watch it and say, ‘Wow, I could’ve done so many different things.’”